The complaint

Coating Equipment Technology, Inc. v. Total Finishing Solutions, LLC, No. 2:26-cv-14105 (E.D. Mich.), was filed October 27, 2026. The plaintiff, a Michigan corporation, sues Total Finishing Solutions, LLC; Pittsburgh Spray Equipment Company; and Clearwater Industries, LLC d/b/a Spraywell on one count of copyright infringement, and demands a jury. The complaint alleges, on information and belief, that Total Finishing is located in Vancouver, Washington, that Pittsburgh Spray is a Pennsylvania corporation, and that Spraywell is a business operated by Clearwater Industries, a limited liability company with a registered office in Tallahassee, Florida. It pleads personal jurisdiction under Michigan's long-arm statute, M.C.L. 600.715(2), on the theory that the defendants' use of the photographs on their websites caused tortious consequences and economic injury to the plaintiff in Michigan, and venue under 28 U.S.C. 1400(a). The case is assigned to Judge Matthew F. Leitman. (Compl. paras. 1 to 10; ECF No. 2.)

The registrations

The complaint pleads ten registrations and alleges that the plaintiff owns the exclusive rights to reproduce, distribute, display, license, and otherwise exploit the images, subject to any licenses it may have granted, and that it has complied with the registration requirement of 17 U.S.C. 411. (Compl. paras. 13 to 15, 30.) Copyright Office records list each as a group registration of published photographs, with Coating Equipment Technology, Inc. as author, as employer for hire, and as claimant. The records give these publication dates and effective dates:

  • VA0002324887 (2020 Part 1A): published March 1 to December 31, 2020; effective October 13, 2022
  • VA0002324939 (2020 Part 1B): published March 1 to December 31, 2020; effective October 13, 2022
  • VA0002324936 (2020 Part 2): published August 1 to December 31, 2020; effective October 13, 2022
  • VA0002326248 (2021 Part 1): published January 1 to December 31, 2021; effective October 13, 2022
  • VA0002335559 (2022 CET Pictures): published January 1 to December 31, 2022; effective January 6, 2023
  • VA0002349348 (CET 2023 Q1 Pictures): published January 1 to April 1, 2023; effective April 26, 2023
  • VA0002388498 (CET 2023 Q4 Photos): published December 1 to December 31, 2023; effective January 26, 2024
  • VA0002427583 (CET 2024 Q3 Photos): published July 11 to September 30, 2024; effective October 8, 2024
  • VA0002449040 (CET 2025 Q1 Photos): published January 9 to April 2, 2025; effective April 22, 2025
  • VA0002475822 (CET 2025 Q3 Photos): published July 22 to October 1, 2025; effective October 14, 2025

What it alleges

The complaint alleges that each defendant copied, displayed, and used images from specific registrations on its own commercial website to promote its products for commercial sale and for profit, without the plaintiff's permission: Total Finishing on totalfinishingsupplies.com, from nine of the ten registrations (all but VA0002388498); Pittsburgh Spray on pittsburghsprayequip.com, from VA0002324887 and VA0002335559; and Spraywell on spraywell.com, from VA0002324887, VA0002326248, VA0002335559, VA0002388498, and VA0002449040. Exhibits A to D, which identify the images and the registrations attributed to each defendant, are not on the public docket. (Compl. paras. 12, 16 to 24.)

It alleges that before and during the conduct the defendants "knew, and recklessly disregarded," that the plaintiff owned the images and that they lacked authorization, that they continued the use after being explicitly informed of the plaintiff's rights, and that the infringement was knowing and willful. (Compl. paras. 27, 28, 33.)

Relief requested

The complaint seeks judgment against the defendants jointly and severally to the extent permitted by law, and asks for the plaintiff's actual damages and the defendants' profits attributable to the infringement, or statutory damages as the plaintiff may elect, including enhanced statutory damages for willful infringement; prejudgment and post-judgment interest; and reasonable attorney fees and costs. (Compl., Conclusion.)